


The Ghostly Veil

by firesign10



Series: Halloween Tibbs [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Angsty Schmoop, Drama, Established Relationship, Feels, Halloween, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 02:12:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firesign10/pseuds/firesign10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for halloween-tibbs on LiveJournal. Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/550913">Black Cat, Cross My Path</a>. It's been a year since Gibbs and Tony met and fell in love. As their Halloween anniversary arrives, each man thinks of a special gift for the other. Tony's gift . . . is out of this world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ghostly Veil

Gibbs strode briskly through the crowded grocery store, ignoring all of the other shoppers in the aisles as he searched for the items on his list. He felt increasingly irritable; he didn't like being at the grocery store to begin with, and it seemed as if every single squeaky-wheeled cart and poky customer was in his way. He grabbed what he wanted and moved on quickly, dodging the various human and merchandising obstacles, gritting his teeth as he maneuvered.

Finally arriving at the registers, he was forced to stop and wait in line. A tense exhalation and frowning face betrayed his annoyance. Swaths of orange, black, and purple crepe paper were festooned around the registers, with cheerful cardboard monster faces posted liberally on poles and displays. Another sigh broke loose from Gibbs. Halloween again. Memories flooded him: Kelly dressed as a princess, all sparkly lavender gauze and beautiful smile; Shannon's red hair tumbling down from underneath her pointed black witch hat, her face alight with laughter as she handed out candy. Those images slid aside to allow a more recent memory - Tony, a smile on his handsome face, his green eyes sparkling. Tony, who had come to Gibbs in the form of Nino, a small, black feisty kitten last Halloween. Cursed by a jealous Gypsy girl, he'd spent a week as a cat living with Gibbs; sleeping on his chest, lapping up milk, staying in the forensics lab with Abby while Gibbs was working a case. 

Then midnight had struck on Halloween, and Tony's curse had been broken. He'd come to Gibbs' bed then, a tall, strapping man with a robust sense of fun and a boatload of love. They'd made love passionately, but Tony had disappeared while Gibbs slept. Feeling confused and hurt the next morning, Gibbs sulked over the weekend until the following Monday. He had no choice but to go into NCIS and meet the new team member hired by Director Morrow. Gibbs was shocked and delighted to find out that new agent was Tony.

They hadn't been apart since.

At work, Tony was his number one, his Senior Agent, utterly trustworthy, calm and capable, with a wicked sense of humor. At home, Tony was his lover, his partner, utterly trustworthy, warm and loving, passionate as hell, and with a wicked sense of humor. Many times had he exasperated Gibbs in both environments, but he also warmed Gibbs' heart, soothed his prickly ire, and shared himself - body and soul - completely. Gibbs was grateful beyond measure that he'd found that little kitten sheltering in the leaves of his hedge - he couldn't imagine his life without Tony. He didn't think it could be anywhere near so perfect as it was now.

Now, with Halloween a few short hours away, Gibbs wanted to show Tony just that. Wanted to make sure that Tony understood how much Gibbs needed him, appreciated him . . . loved him. Gibbs knew he was taciturn and gruff - a demeanor that evolved over a lifetime didn't vanish in a year. Yet he was softer at home now, more openly affectionate, and God knows he was a whole lot hornier. His cock twitched in his pants just thinking about a naked Tony sprawled on their bed, hands running over his own body as he licked his lips at Gibbs. More pants-twitching followed that thought, and Gibbs shifted closer to his shopping carriage to hide his crotch. He didn't want the mommies and seniors milling around the front end of the store to catch sight of the tent he was pitching.

Tony was just putting the third jack-o-lantern out on the front step when Gibbs arrived home. He ran down to the driveway, grabbing some bags after smooching Gibbs on the cheek. They brought everything inside in one trip, dumping all the bags on the kitchen table and engaging in a more serious kiss before doing anything else. Tony sighed happily as they broke the kiss, his lips only leaving Gibbs' slowly. "Damn, Tony, you do that so well every single time," Gibbs said, gently patting Tony's cheek.

"It's you, Jethro, you're a big ol' piece of man-candy!" Tony said, stealing one more little kiss before turning to the groceries. "Did you get everything?"

"Yup, think so. Some stuff for the pantry, a pound of that pumpkin coffee you like so much, some bags of candy for tonight. Maybe a little treat in there for you. . ." Gibbs grinned as Tony began rummaging through the bags as if sniffing out his treat.

Tony mock-glared at Gibbs as he extricated a pint of heavy cream. "Really, Jethro? _Really?_ " He gestured as if to throw it, making Gibbs duck as he snickered. 

"I couldn't - " Gibbs laughed as he dodged around the kitchen. "I couldn't resist! It was your favorite!" He ran out of the room with Tony hot on his heels, both men laughing until Tony caught Gibbs and silenced his laugh with a deep kiss. This time when they broke, both men were panting, their confined erections bumping as they held each other tight. Gibbs glanced up the stairs and Tony nodded, kissing him one more time before they hastened up to their bedroom, clothes falling to the floor as they went.

They really didn't have a lot of time before the trick-or-treaters would start arriving, so they settled for a shared shower with mutual hand-jobs and long, slow kisses. Gibbs knew that Tony loved when they pleasured each other at the same time, and he also relished the tension and tremors that finally shook his lover's body as they shook his own. A couple of final sweet kisses as they rinsed off, then they scrambled into jeans and T-shirts and headed back downstairs.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang, and the first costumed children arrived to clamor for treats. The jack-o-lanterns' jolly carved faces greeted the treaters, the pumpkins' candles glowing brightly in the dusk. Tony had begged Gibbs to let him decorate the house, but Gibbs put his foot down to any garish display, conceding only to the jack-o-lanterns and some strings of orange lights around the front window and the door itself. It made for simple but festive decor. After the lights were hung and the pumpkins lit, Tony admitted that less was indeed more.

The next two hours were busy as the doorbell rang constantly and the two men doled out candy with oohs and aahs at the children's costumes. As eight o'clock approached, the last pieces of candy were dispersed and the Gibbs-DiNozzo house called it a night. Tony blew out the jack-o-lanterns and put them in the garage. Gibbs turned off the orange lights, the front light, and shut the door with a turn to the lock. They turned off the living room lights and retired to the kitchen, ready for some beers and the chili that had been warming on the stove's back burner.

They ate quietly, savoring the hot, spicy chili and the cold beer, content in each other's company. As Tony took his empty bowl to the sink, he said casually, "So, got a little Halloween surprise of my own for you, Jethro." 

Gibbs looked at Tony's back, noting how stiff it was and concluding that Tony didn't mean frisky sex. Not that frisky sex was off the agenda, but it was clear from his body language that Tony meant something more serious. "Oh, yeah, Tone? What's up?"

Tony turned back around and Gibbs was surprised at the solemn expression on his face. "It's kinda weird, but just - bear with me, okay?" His eyebrows went up anxiously as he waited for Gibbs' reaction.

Gibbs stood and brought his own bowl over. "Well, sure, Tony. I trust you. I'm a skeptic at heart, but look what happened last year, right?" They smiled at each other as they recalled Tony's kitten days, and the night the spell had broken.

"Let's go in the living room. We don't have to turn the lights on, we'll just have a fire. I laid fresh logs earlier." Tony took Gibbs' hand and led him into the other room. He pulled a couple of floor pillows over to the fireplace, pushing Gibbs down onto one, and lit the fire. In no time it was crackling merrily, the orange and red flames licking along the wood and shooting up into the chimney. They took a moment just to appreciate the hypnotic beauty of the fire, hands clasped, shoulders pressed together. The warmth of the fire wrapped around them, and the both sighed in unison as they relaxed.

"Okay, Tony, what's your surprise?" Gibbs finally asked, wrenching his eyes from the flames.

Tony bit his lip. "I don't know - well, I hope it works. And I hope you aren't mad at me afterward. It's a treat, not a trick - I swear." He took a small, rectangular manila envelope off the side of the hearth, where Gibbs hadn't noticed it before. Tony held the envelope as he closed his eyes, and murmured some words - was that Italian? Latin? - under his breath. He turned to Gibbs and tapped the envelope against Gibbs' forehead, then against his chest over his heart. "Kiss it," he said, holding it up to Gibbs' lips. Gibbs frowned at him, but Tony's expression was pleading and Gibbs couldn't resist it. He pressed his lips to the envelope, and Tony did likewise. Then he opened the envelope and sprinkled the contents over the fire.

A grayish brown powder fell from the envelope into the flames. As it fell, it was consumed in a myriad of sparkles and sparks, the brightness of which illuminated the entire room and overwhelmed the men, causing them to fall backward. A rich smell filled the room - spicy cinnamon, sharp pine, rich cedar, the musty leaf floor of a forest - all combined in a heady incense that they breathed in deeply. Their hands remained clasped even for the moment that they did not know where they were.

The air cleared somewhat, although the scent lingered, and the two men found themselves shaking their head and sitting back up. "Jesus, Tony, what the hell was that?" Gibbs exclaimed. He shook his head again - his mind still felt a little foggy and his vision seemed a little fuzzy. He rubbed them, but it didn't clear up. He looked over to see how Tony was faring.

Tony was also rubbing his eyes. He looked at Gibbs with concern, so Gibbs patted his leg in reassurance. "I'm okay, Tony, just my eyes and my mind seem a little cloudy." Tony nodded silently in assent. 

They looked at the fire, but all the sparks and sparkles had died down. The fire, though, was even more vibrant. It was putting out quite a bit of heat, and the flames - the flames were gorgeous. Ribbons and vines of orange, white, red, and yellow were constantly interweaving with each other. Gibbs thought it was how he imagined the effect of LSD would be, with the vivid, hallucinatory appearance of the fire. "Tony, are you - do you see -?" he said, and knew without even looking that Tony was nodding. Tony saw it too.

As Gibbs continued to stare into the fire, he was startled to see a door behind the flames. It had to be a _little_ door, right? His fireplace was not some huge medieval construct, where people could walk upright into the hearth. His eyes were fixed on that mysterious door, and he found himself cataloging the details: the heavy, iron hinges; the dark timbers, heavily carved with what could only be mystical symbols; the faint...opening? Was that really a crack of light around the doorjamb? What...?

_Come,_ said a whisper that drifted from the opening, wafting through the flames to Gibbs' ear. He didn't need to look at Tony to know the other man was as transfixed as he was. _Come, just for a brief moment. The magic of Halloween is holding, but not for long. Cross the ghostly veil. Come quickly, come now, or the door will shut . . . mayhap forever . . ._

The hand in his tightened, and Gibbs' knew Tony was leaving it up to him. If Gibbs went, he would follow. With that comfort and assurance in his heart from his lover, Gibbs closed his eyes and _went_.

There was a rush of great heat, hot enough to make Gibbs' resolve flicker with fear. What mad act were they committing? Then there was a _whoosh_ and the heat fell away, as did the crackling of the logs. Gibbs realized he'd reflexively shut his eyes, and he took a deep breath before he opened them.

He and Tony were sitting in a mossy clearing in a forest, a forest unlike any that Gibbs - an avid hiker and camper - had seen before. The trees were not quite the size of redwoods, but far larger than any ordinary oaks. The floor was carpeted in vivid colors from fallen leaves with pine cones and pine needles mixed in. Where he and Tony were sitting was a veritable carpet of rich, green moss, as comfortable as any plush throw. A fire was burning here too, but it was a very large campfire, or perhaps a very small bonfire. Flames leapt merrily amid the snap of sap, and the smell of fragrant woods was delightful. Tony and Gibbs looked at each other in astonishment, then looked around to survey their surroundings. Outside of the noise of the fire, it was completely quiet.

"Tony, where the hell are we?" whispered Gibbs. The quiet was so peaceful and profound that he was loath to break it with speech.

Tony shook his head. "Damned if I know, Jethro. I understood in theory what the powder would do, but in fact? No idea."

"What _was_ it supposed to do? Besides apparently spiriting us God knows where!" Gibbs gave the clearing a good look again. He'd stake his reputation as the top investigator at NCIS that they were - as the saying went - not in Kansas anymore.

Tony's face was set in unaccustomedly serious lines. "I wanted to take advantage of this time of year to give you something, Jethro. Something . . . special." He cleared his throat. "Once-in-a-lifetime special."

Gibbs mulled Tony's words over in his head, studying the other as he tried to figure out what the other man meant. His pondering was interrupted by the approach of two shadowy figures. He wondered how he hadn't heard them walking over the crunchy leaves of the forest floor - his hearing was as sharp as ever. Tony gasped softly at his side, and then Gibbs saw it. The figures weren't _walking_ \- they were gliding soundlessly above the ground. He tightened his grip on Tony's hand.

"Don't worry - nothing will harm you here," the taller figure said in a soft voice. "Places _in between_ like this are warded, and therefore safe for all." It stopped a few feet from the men, the smaller figure close to its side. Both figures were draped in soft, hooded robes the color of shadows. "Besides, Jethro, I could never hurt you." The taller figure's hood dropped back and Gibbs felt his breath stop. Long, red curls tumbled free to frame a heart-shaped face and green eyes, while a wide mouth smiled at them. "Yes, sweetheart, it's me. It's Shannon."

Gibbs thought he might never breath again, faced so unexpectedly with Shannon, looking as beautiful as she'd ever been. He tore his eyes from her to look at the smaller figure, likewise shedding its hood. It was Kelly; beautiful, precious Kelly, her mother's features in a girl's mold, smiling joyfully at Gibbs. "Kelly . . . oh my God, Kelly, my little girl . . . " And then she was in his arms, her own thin arms wrapped as far as they could get around Gibbs. He was crying unabashedly now, his cheeks wet as he held and hugged his daughter, his princess. They hugged for what felt like a moment, an eternity .

Lifting his head, he loosened his grip on Kelly to reach for Shannon, pulling her into him. Her hair clung to his wet cheeks as they embraced. She smelled just as she always had - clean and fresh and just the veriest hint of something floral. Her face still fit right into the crook of his neck, her breasts pressed firmly against his chest. There were no signs of the terrible damage of her death - no aftereffects of the horrible crash instigated by Hernandez' hitman. She was whole and lovely.

Finally he drew back, while still holding one hand from each of them. "How? I don't understand - "

Suddenly he turned. Tony! Oh, Tony, still simply standing there and waiting quietly. "Tony, I -" Gibbs' head whirled. How could there be both Shannon and Tony here? What did it mean? What was he supposed to do? How could they both understand how much they meant to him?

"Shh," Shannon soothed. "It's all right, Jethro. Don't panic. Tony's here because he loves you. He brought us to you. This is his doing."

Gibbs looked at Tony questioningly. "Tony? Is that true? How did you . . . why? I don't understand." His heart was so full - his girls and his boy were all together here, and he didn't know how to even express his feelings about it.

Shannon stroked his cheek. "Tony wanted to give you something. He wanted you to have the chance to say goodbye that you never got. You were so far away when it happened, Jethro, and we were gone before you could return. Tony wanted to give you that chance. He wanted to give you peace - to let you see, _know_ , that we were all right. As we are. Do you see?"

Gibbs nodded, unable to speak. Tears continued trickling down his face, even as his lips trembled in a smile. Kelly held one of his large hands in both of her small ones.

"It's Halloween, Daddy. The veil is thin tonight; the ghostly veil that separates us, separates the plane of the living from the shadow plane. And tonight - tonight it can be pushed aside, with the right magic. And love - you need love to do it too, Daddy. Lots of love." She turned to look up at Tony. "That's what Tony did. He got the magic, and he has the love. So much love for you, Daddy. And love for us too." She took one hand away from Gibbs and picked up Tony's. "Even though he never met us, he loves us. Because of you."

Shannon nodded. "Do you see how it all comes around, Jethro? Your love for us, Tony's love for you, your love for him; it all weaves around us all. His love fueled the magic. Your love brought you through the veil. Our love keeps you here, albeit briefly, and it will send you back soon. Even with the magic, you cannot stay here long."

"No!" Gibbs blurted out. "No, please! Can't we stay here with you?" He held onto their hands tightly, not wanting to let go ever.

"Oh, Jethro," Shannon said sadly. "That can't happen right now. You and Tony have long lives to share yet, people to save, love to savor. When your time comes, then you'll join us forever. Both of you. You two are bound together every bit as much as you and I were, sweetheart. I know you'll always love me, and I'll always love you. But Tony is your life now, and it's his love, his heart that will sustain you. As your heart and love sustain him. There's no competition - you have enough love for all of us, just like Tony has enough for Kelly and I. He's so special, Jethro, I'm so happy you found him." She turned to Tony and placed a hand on either side of his face. "Come, my brave one. Even as a kitten, you were brave beyond your size. Come, little Nino, let me kiss you before your journey home." Tony's face was awestruck as Shannon kissed him first on his forehead, then on each cheek. "Keep being brave, and keep loving Jethro. He is a little cranky sometimes, but he's a pretty special guy." She winked at Tony before turning back to Gibbs.

"And now it's time. Know that Kelly and I love you both, and that we rejoice that you are not alone. Take care of each other, and one day we'll walk this path together," Shannon said. Kelly hugged her father very tightly before stepping aside so her mother could do the same. They stepped back and raised their hoods again, then stepped back. Turning around they began to drift back the way they'd come.

Gibbs watched them go, eyes still leaking. He missed them, he wanted them back, but at the same time he felt a peace throughout himself. They were good; his beautiful girls were full of peace and a quiet joy, and the love that had marked them was with them still. He felt years of self-flagellation, decades of mourning fall away from, casting off from his psyche like old snakeskin. He turned to Tony, picking up his hand and bringing it to his lips as he tried to convey his gratitude.

"Jesus, Tony . . . " Gibbs couldn't get any farther, tears choking his voice. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fought for control.

The warmth and strength of Tony's arms embraced him. "Shh, Jethro, it's all right. I love you too. We'll talk about it when we get home, okay? I'm . . . I'm pretty blown away myself." He stroked his thumbs underneath Gibbs' eyes, prompting Gibbs to open them and look at him. "C'mon, Marine . . . let's go home."

They sat again on the plush moss and stared into the fire, waiting. The wooden door suddenly appeared, nestled in the heart of the flames. They squeezed each other's hand, shut their eyes firmly, and _went_.

Even with eyes closed, they could feel that they were back inside now, no longer in the majestic woods beyond the fire. Opening their eyes, they looked intently at each other before checking out the hearth fire. It was still burning merrily, but was clearly an ordinary fire again. Gibbs turned again to Tony. "Tony, my God . . . what? How did . . . ?" He ran a hand over his face.

Tony regarded him seriously. "Well, Halloween is an important anniversary for us, and I wanted to do something special. I remembered how that Gypsy girl - the one who cursed me? She mentioned that there was a Gypsy shop in the area. A magic shop, but not just parlor tricks. So I found it and I went and I - I explained what I wanted. They gave me the powder and the words to say, the steps to take. I just didn't - I didn't really understand how it was going to work." He sighed and wiped his own eyes, and Gibbs saw the shiny tracks of tears down Tony's cheeks. Tony too had been moved, had experienced the beautiful and inexplicable encounter in the woods. He looked as touched and affected as Gibbs himself.

Gibbs reached over and pulled Tony next to him in a tight embrace. Tony whispered against his chest, "You've always wondered, Jethro. How they are. Are they okay. Did they know -" his voice hiccuped, "how much you love and miss them. I wanted to give that to you. I knew it might be hard to see them, but you could . . . you could stop punishing yourself so much if you knew that they were okay." He buried his face against Gibbs and clung tightly to him.

Gibbs laid his head on Tony's hair, arms cradling the younger man. "Oh my God, Tony . . . it was amazing. To see them like that, so beautiful and peaceful - you were right. And you - oh, I'm so happy _you_ got to see them, meet them. And they already knew you, loved you - Jesus, Tony, it was - " and Gibbs' words failed him completely. All he could do was shed tears of love and joy into Tony's soft, thick hair as he felt unutterable gratitude for the man in his arms.

They sat there for a while, simply holding each other and feeling each other's love as well as the afterglow from the rendezvous with Shannon and Kelly. The fire gradually died, and as the ashen logs fell to a dim glow, they finally stirred and headed upstairs. They undressed quickly and got into bed, eschewing any kind of sleep clothing for the warmth and comfort of skin-to-skin instead. Even sex seemed unnecessary for the moment; instead, they expressed themselves in soft kisses, gentle touches, and murmured words of love.

After such an intense experience and then being so deeply focused on each other, Gibbs felt sleep approaching quickly. He pressed his lips to Tony's and whispered, "Sweet dreams, my Nino." Tony hummed in assent, hand brushing Gibbs' cheek. _Tomorrow,_ Gibbs thought. _Tomorrow I'll give him his gift._ He thought of the polished wooden box sitting on the shelf in his workshop, the little box he'd spent hours working on. And inside the box, the heavy gold band that glowed against the rich, green velvet. _Tomorrow._


End file.
